Friction eire starter



May 24,1927. 1,629,638

J. C. RAMSEY FRICTION FIRE STARTER Filed Nov. 2. 1926 Patented May 2.4, 1927.

UNITED STATES JAMES C. RAMSEY, 0F ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO.

FRICTION FIRE STARTER.

Application filed November 2, 1926. Serial No. 145,819.

This invention relates to friction fire starters and more particularly to a bow drill, by means of which glowing sparks of charcoal may be formed and caused to drop upon tinder to ignite the same, thereby permitting a lire to be started without the use of matches or a flint and steel.

Bow drills have been previously employed to start fires but it has been found difficult due to the fact that the wood does not heat rapidly and a great deal of labor is necessary in order to produce glowing sparks. Therefore, one objectof the invention is to provide a bow drill having the drill or spindle and its cooperating hearth or fire-board formed of wood which will quickly become charred by frictional engagement with each other.

Another object of the invention 1s to provide the hearth or lire-board with cominunieating recesses leading from its upper and lower faces and intersecting in such relation to'each other that glowing charcoal may be so aped from the lower end of the spindle and dropped upon tinder having the recessed portion of the hearth resting thereon.

It has also been found that, when a bow drill is in use, very often the'string of the bow will fail to have proper binding engagement with the drill or spindle and will slip thereon when the bow is reciprocated witl'iout in'iparting the desired rotary move ment to the spindle. Therefore, another object of the invention is to so form the spindle that the portion of the bow string wrapped about it will firmly gripthe same and readily impart rotary moven'ient to it when the bow is reeiprocated.

Anothm: object of the invention is to so connect the string with the how that it may be firmly secured but permitted to be easily loosened when adjustment is necessary.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 perspective View of the improved bow drill;

' Fig.- 2 is an enlarged view showing thelowerportion of the (Ill'lll. or spindle and cooperating portion of the tireboard or hearth in side elevation;

is a transverse sectional view Fig. 3

the line through the lire hearth taken on 3-f3 of F 2, and

\FIQ; 4; i a side elevation of the lower end portion of the drill.

The friction fire starter constituting the sub ect matter of this invention includes a fir-aboard or hearth, indicated in general by the numeral 1, a cooperating drill or spindle 2 and an actuating bow 3. The hearth 1 consists of an elongated strip of wood which is comparatively thiclr and is formed with flat upper and lower faces. f and 5 so that it may rest flat upon the ground and be firmly held in position for use without being liable to turn over. The fire-board is formed of yucca wood obtained from a plant which grows in desert countries, such found in Arizona and New Mexico, and other localities having similar climatic conditions. Adjacent one end the fire-board is formed with recesses 6 and 7 cut from the upper and lo-werfaoes 4 and '5 and opening through one side face of the board, as clear ly shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the upper recess is substantially hemisphericalin shape but has the upper portions of its walls flared to form an annular shoulder 8. The lower re-' cess 7 is cut into the fire-board from one side thereof and tapersupwardly, as shown in F 1g. 3, with its upper end intersecting the openingG below the annular shoulder. By having the'recesses formed as set forth above the walls of the upper recess are formed with scraping edges at its open side so. that glowing charcoal may be'readilv scraped from the lower end of the spindle 2 when the device is in use. i

The spindle 2 which is alsoformed'of yucca wood. tapers towards its upper end and. at its upper end is adapted to fit into a. socket 9 to be held in one hand. The lower end .10 of the spindle is tapered, as shown in Fig. 4i, andv of such diameter. and contour that itrmay be received in the socket 6 with its upper portions resting upon the shoulder 8 andits pointed lower portion disposed adjacent the bottom of the recess. After the recess 6 has been formed in the fire-board,--its walls and the lower end of the spindle are charred sothat by rotating the spindle in the recess they may be frictionally ground to a proper fit. die is substantially circular in cross section but l'SfOllllGtl with flat longitudinally extending side faces, as clearly shown in. liigs. 2. and 4:, sothat the portion of the bow string 11 which is wrapped about the spin- The spin I ill) ping engagement with it and be prevented from slipping about the spindle without imparting rotary movement thereto.

The how 3 may be formed of any suitable material but is preferably wood and at one end is cut to form a head 12 which is bored to provide an opening or passage through which the string is threaded and knotted, as shown at 13, so that this end of the string will be securely held in engagement with the bow. Adjacent its other end the bow is formed with longitudinally spaced openings 14 and 15 through which the bow string threaded in opposite directions and then wrapped about the bow, as shown at 16, with the wrapped portion extending beneath the portion 17 which extends from the opening 14: to the opening 15. After the string has been wrapped about the how, the main portion of the string is drawn upon and the portion 17 will be drawn into tight binding engagement with the wrapped portion and firmly but releasably hold it in place.

VVhenthe fire starter is in use, the hearth is placed upon the ground with the end formed with the recesses resting upon a suitable tinder. The bow string is wrapped about the spindle and the spindle disposed vertically with its lower end resting in the recess 6 and its upper end fitted into the socket 9. One knee or foot is placed upon the fire-board and the spindle supported in a vertical position with-one hand while with the other hand the bow is reciprocated. When the bow is reciprocated, rotary movement will be imparted to the spindle and the friction between the tapered end 10 and shoulder 8 will. quickly cause the tapered lower end of the spindleto become hot and a charcoal formed which will be scraped off and dropped through the opening 7 onto the tinder. This will cause the tinder to become ignited so that a fire may be started.

The special advantages gained by use of yucca wood are as followsz Yucca'grows in desert countries and, consequently, it contains but little moisture or sap and is very easily seasoned. In fact,:the Wood is usually naturally seasoned by the hot sun and wind. Yucca wood is light but strong and, therefore, a fire starter formed of yucca wood will be light in weight and readily portable. While yuccawood is quite strong and firm, it'is easily cut. This is a decided advantage where one has only a dull hatchet or knife to .work with.

It should bealsonoted that yucca wood, growing as it does in dry, sandy deserts, seems to partake of .the qualities of itssurroundings. The wood is brashy, withal strong, and its texture is gritty and sandy as if impregnated withthe sand from which it grows. This coarse, gritty, sandy nature of yucca wood imparts to it an advantage that is very rarely present in other woods. That is to say, it is made up entirely of friction producing elements Without containing resin or other lubricating elements usually present in other woods.

hen a fire set is formed of yucca wood, it begins to produce glowing charcoal powder immediately the set is put in use and notime. or motion is wasted in overcoming the frictionless resin or lubricant forming elements-found in most other woods. This is a very important fact to be considered when the weather is quite damp or the operator is engaged in a friction fire lighting contest and wishes to make the best possible speed in lighting afirc.

Yucca wood will quickly dry itself out when a fire starter is in use and produce fire even when quite damp at the start, but adamp drill or fire-board formed of any wood will be practically useless and result in an absolute failure.

Thus the advantages of ease, speed and surety gained by the use of yucca wood when making a friction fire set will be readily seen and appreciated.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A. friction fire starter comprising a hearth having recesses leading from its upper and lower faces, said recesses being tapered towards each other and intersecting, and adrill having a tapered lower end to be received in the upper recess of the hearth.

. 2. A friction fire starter comprising a hearthhaving recesses leading from its upper and lower faces, said recesses being tapered towards each other and intersecting out of axial alinement with each other, and a drill having a tapered lower end to be seated in the upper recess.

3. A friction lire starter comprising a hearth having recesses leading from its upper and lower faces, said recesses being tapered towards each other and-intersecting out of axial alinement with each other, the upper recess constituting a segment of a circle opening through a side of the hearth and when viewed in top plan and having a flared upper portion, the lower recess communicating with'upper recess below the flared upper portion thereof at its open side, and a drill havinga tapered 'lower en'd circular in cross section and adapted to be seated in the upper recess in engagement with the walls of the flared upper portion thereof.

4. A friction fire starter comprising a hearth having recesses-leading from its upper and lower faces, said recesses being tapered towards eachother and intersecting out of axial alinement with each other, the upper recess iconstituting a segment of a circle opening through a side of the hearth and when viewed in top plan and having a flared upper portion, the lower recess opening through the said side and bottom of the hearth and communicating with the upper recess below the flared upper portion thereof at its open side, and a drill having a tapered lower end adapted to be seated in the upper recess in contacting engagement; with only the walls of the flared upper portion thereof, the contacting surfaces being charred.

5. A friction fire starter comprising a hearth having a recess leading from its upper face, the recess being substantially cir cular in top plan and having an outlet through a side of the hearth, and a companion drill having a tapered lower end received in said recess in contacting engagement with portions of its walls, said drill being formed with longitudinally extending flatfaces to permit easy turning by a thong wrapped. about the drill.

6. A friction fire starter comprising a hearth having a recess leading from its upper face and formed with an outlet, a drill having a tapered lower end to be seated in said recess in engagement with the walls thereof, said drill being substantially circular in cross section but formed with fiat faces whereby an actuating thong wrapped about the drill may have tight gripping engagement therewith.

7. A drill actuating bow having an open ing adjacent one end and adjacent its other end formed with openings spaced from each other longitudinally of the bow, and a bow string having one end portion passed through the first opening and held against withdrawal, the other end portion of said string being threaded through the other opening in opposite directions and wrapped about the bow and extending beneath a portion extending between the openings.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JAMES C. RAMSEY. [n s.] 

